Not Just Friends (Hot in the City #3) - T. Gephart Page 0,56

her phone’s off. You still have her spare key, right? Any chance you could meet me at her place in twenty minutes?”

FUCK.

Presley rarely shut her phone off, the fancy piece of aluminum on 24/7. But for whatever reason she’d silenced it when we got home, determined to have a few hours without the barrage of emails, texts and social media alerts that usually came.

But at the moment it wasn’t her newfound balance that had me concerned, it was that her brother wanted to visit her, at the apartment of which I was currently in, naked.

“Errrr.” I looked around, trying to find where I’d left my clothes. “Twenty minutes?”

The words had no sooner left my mouth then Presley turned, reaching for me in her sleep. “Where did you go?” She groaned loudly when she didn’t feel me beside her, my eyes widening as I lowered my hand to her mouth. “What?” The muffled word coughed out against my palm as she woke up with a jump.

“Ah, shit, Leighton. I’m sorry, I know you’re with your girl, but this is kinda important. Hey, why don’t you give me the address and I’ll meet you at her place. Meet me down on the street, give me Presley’s spare key and then you can go back to doing whatever you’re doing.”

What I was doing was his sister.

And I was positive he wouldn’t want me going back to that.

Not to mention I couldn’t exactly volunteer my location. Tibbs might not be the smartest man alive but even he would question why I was in Presley’s apartment when I was supposed to be with my “girl.”

Presley’s head shook under my hand, probably wondering why I was muzzling her while I was talking on the phone.

“Tibbs,” I said both into the phone and to her. “It’s fine, you sure you want to go to Presley’s? You know she’s not usually awake before noon.”

Like the smart girl that she was, her eyes flared in recognition. Her hand reached up to mine, pulling it away from her mouth as she stayed silent, shuffling up the bed as she listened.

“Dude, I know. But this is important. She’ll get pissed and then get over it. Not a lot she can do when I’m on her doorstep.”

Well, he clearly had his head up his ass because there was plenty she could do. But I was thanking the saints and angels that he’d decided to call before heading over wanting the spare key and not just turned up and pressed the fucking buzzer.

“Okay, give me twenty-five, I’ll meet you there.” I shook my head wondering what kind of shitshow it was going to turn into. “Bye.”

“What the fuck?” I’d barely ended the call when Presley leapt from the bed. She was still extremely naked, which shouldn’t have been as distracting as it was considering the circumstances.

What? I’d already admitted I had issues.

“Lewis was seen around the club last night, Tibbs tried to call you this morning. Your phone’s off,” I paraphrased, joining her off the bed while I pulled on my underwear. “He’s on his way over to talk to you about it.”

“Why can’t he just leave a message like a regular person?” She tossed me my jeans while I pulled my T-shirt over my head. “It’s like he doesn’t trust a recorded message which will literally give me the information exactly as he says it.”

We didn’t have time to debate her brother’s inability to leave voicemail, tossing on my pants as I tried to find my socks and shoes. “Presley, I’ve got nothing. But unless you want our grand reveal to be right now, I need to get downstairs to meet him, and you need to be suitably surprised when he arrives.”

She nodded, grabbing a fluffy bathrobe. “What about your bag?”

“I’ll take it down with me and toss it in the car.” I moved to her, my hands resting on her hips. “I’ll go back to my apartment with Tibbs so he doesn’t get suspicious and then come back later.”

“Do you promise?” She grabbed my arms, bringing me closer.

“I promise. I better go. I have no idea if he’s walking or driving and the last thing he needs to see is me leaving here with a bag in my hand.” I kissed her, wanting it to last longer but knowing we were on the clock.

With my socks and shoes located, I threw them on and grabbed the rest of my things. I did a quick sweep of the apartment, checking to see